Reversible rear view mirror



35 O 2 8 2 SEARCH R00 Nov. 8, 1955 D. w. BARKLEY 2,722,864

' REVERSIBLE REAR vIEw MIRROR Original Filed May 27, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheetl a9 2-6 I5 24 X 27 51 5O .46 5o ,41 lnnentor Nov. 8, 1955 D. W. BARKLEYREVERSIBLE REAR VIEW MIRROR Original Filed May 27, 1949 2 Sneaks-Sheet 2Bummer (Ittomcgg United States Patent REVERSIBLE REAR VIEW MIRROR DwightW. Barkley, New Kensington, Pa., assignor to Libbey-Owens-Ford GlassCompany, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Continuation of abandonedapplication Serial No. 95,742,

The present invention relates to rear view mirrors, such as are employedin automobiles and the like, of the character which enables the driverof the vehicle to have a clear view of the rear road conditions at alltimes.

This application is a continuation of my copending application SerialNo. 95,742, filed May 27, 1949, now abandoned.

More particularly, this invention has to do with that type of rear viewmirror having two surfaces of different reflectivity and beingreversible so that either surface may be brought into operative positionby the driver of the vehicle; one reflective surface being preferably inthe form of an ordinary mirror for use in day driving and the otherproviding a mirror for night driving which will reduce the brilliancy ofthe reflecting headlights of an automobile approaching from the rear.

It is an aim of this invention to provide a rear view mirror of theabove type embodying means of a novel and improved character which willenable the driver to reverse the mirror in a rapid, eflicient manner andwith a minimum of care and attention on his part.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a rear viewmirror embodying a supporting housing or case with which the mirrorproper is both hingedly and slidably associated so that it is capable ofbeing readily reversed to selectively bring either of the reflectingsurfaces into the line of vision of the driver, depending upon whetherthe mirror is to be used for day driving or night driving.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a rear view mirrorembodying a case, the front of which is open, and a pivotally mountedreversible mirror unit closing the front of the case when in normaloperative position, means being provided to effectively maintain themirror in viewing position, and cooperating means on the case and mirrorunit for guiding the mirror unit during reversal thereof.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a rear view mirrorassembly embodying a case within which the mirror unit is mounted forboth bodily reciprocal and pivotal movement, the several parts of theassembly being so associated with one another as to provide a simple,compact arrangement which may be easily actuated by the driver of thevehicle to effect reversal of the mirror unit relative to the case.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a rear viewmirror assembly of the above character in combination with means forsupporting the same upon the structure of a vehicle for bodilyadjustment relative to its supporting structure to bring the mirror unitinto any desired angular position to accommodate persons of differentheight and seating position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparentduring the course of the following description, when taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate likeparts throughout the same:

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Fig. 1 is a front elevtaion of a rear view mirror constructed inaccordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar vertical transverse section but showing the mirrorunit in partially reversed position;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal detail section taken on line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a similar horizontal detail section illustrating a modifiedform of support for the mirror unit;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a modified form of rear view mirrorembodying the invention;

Fig. 7 is an end view thereof;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal longitudinal section taken substantlally on line88 of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the supporting structure shown in Fig. 5which may be employed in either the preferred or modified forms of rearview mirror.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to that form of theinvention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, there is shown a rearview mirror which is designated in its entirety by the letter A. Themirror assembly A generally comprises a case 15, adjustably supportedwithin an automobile or the like by a mounting means B, and carrying areversible mirror unit 16.

Although the invention is not limited to the use of any specific type ofreversible mirror unit 16, it may be composed, as herein shown by way ofexample, of two mirror elements 17 and 18 arranged in back to backrelation and mounted in a bezel 19. The mirror elements 17 and 18 havetheir inner, adjacent surfaces provided with reflective coatings 20 and21 respectively, of different reflecting values, with one mirror coatingbeing highly reflective and suitable for daytime driving and the othermirror coating having a lower reflecting value suitable for night-timedriving. The mirror unit 16 is both slidably and pivotally associatedwith the case 15 in such a manner that either mirror element 17 or 18may be selectively brought by the driver of the vehicle into operativeposition in his line of vision.

The case 15 is preferably rectangular in outline and comprises a rearwall 22 which is curved both longitudinally and transversely. The rearwall 22 is also formed with a forwardly bent peripheral flange 23defining a top wall 24, bottom wall 25 and opposite end walls 26, theflange 23 being generally bent inwardly along its marginal edges toprovide an angularly disposed front wall 27.

Received within the case 15 is a liner plate 28 which is formed toclosely approximate said case, conforming to the contour of its interiorso as to interfit snugly there with. More particularly, the liner plate28 comprises a rear wall 29 and a forwardly bent peripheral flange 30which are so located that the rear wall of the liner plate is in contactwith the case rear wall 22, while the top wall 31, bottom wall 32, andend walls 33 of the peripheral flange 30 are in contact with thecorresponding top wall 24, bottom wall 25 and end walls 26 of the case.Throughout the major portion of its marginal edge, the liner plateflange 30 is firmly engaged by the inner surface of the front wall 27 ofthe case to secure the liner plate in place within the case.

The case 15 is provided, intermediate its ends and at the upper andlower edges thereof, with rectangularly shaped housings 34 and 35respectively in which are located the opposite ends of a vertical guidebar 36 upon which is slidably mounted a traveler 37 to which the mirrorunit 16 is pivotally connected. Each housing 34 and 35 is composed of arear wall 38 extended outwardly from the respective top or bottom edgeof the case, opposite side walls 39 and an end wall 40. These walls thuscooperate to define forwardly opening recesses 41 and 42 respectively inwhich the traveler 37 is received at each end of its vertical movementalong the guide bar 36.

The guide bar 36 may consist of a flat, elongated piece of metalsupported within the housings 34 and 35 and having the opposite endsthereof suitably secured to tongue extensions 43 and 44 of the linerplate 28. As herein shown, however, the guide bar is formed integralwith the tongue 43 and is bent downwardly with its lower end suitablyattached to the opposite tongue 44. The guide bar also is preferablyprovided with a longitudinally extending slot 45 in which the traveler37 is slidably mounted.

The traveler 37 comprises a body portion 46 having a reduced shank 47which extends through the slot 45 in guide bar 36 and has an enlargedupset head 48 spaced from the bar by a bearing washer 49. The mirrorunit 16 is pivotally connected to the body portion 46 of the traveler byspaced lugs 50 secured to the bezel, said lugs being disposed atopposite sides of the body portion 46 and secured thereto by a pivot pin51.

Carried by the bezel 19 of the mirror unit, opposite the traveler 37, isan operating handle 52 suitably secured thereto and by means of whichthe mirror unit may be easily and quickly reversed at will by the driverof the vehicle. Thus, by means of the handle 52, the mirror unit 16 maybe swung relative to the traveler 37 and simultaneously moved along theguide bar 36 between the housings 34 and 35. When the mirror unit is innormal viewing position with respect to the case, the operating handle52 will be received in the notches 53 provided in the end wall 40 of thehousing 34 or 35 as will be more fully hereinafter described.

When the mirror unit 16 is located within the case 15 to bring eitherthe mirror element 17 or 18 into operative viewing position as shown inFigs. 1 and 2, it is secured in such position by pairs of retainingclips 54 and 55 which are arranged so as to resiliently grip the upperand lower edges of the bezel 19. The clips 54 and 55 are formed asextensions from the top wall 31 and bottom wall 32 of the liner plate 28and project forwardly from the case to engage said bezel and snap overthe edges thereof as the mirror unit is swung toward and away from thecase.

In operation, and assuming the mirror element 17 is located in operativeviewing position, as shown in Fig. 2, and it becomes desirable toreplace it by the mirror element 18, the driver of the vehicle needsimply grasp handle 52 and pull the same forwardly from the notch 53 inthe lower housing 35 to overcome the gripping influence of the clips 55.Then, and since the traveler 37 is freely slidable within the verticalslot 45 in guide bar 36, the said traveler will descend to the lowerextremity of the slot, as shown by broken lines in Fig. 3. Since theweight of the mirror unit 16 is suflicient to carry the travelerdownwardly, the driver actually need only pull the mirror unit 16outwardly from the case and control the rate of descent of the travelerby means of the handle 52.

During the downward movement of the traveler 37, the hinge connectionafforded by the pivot pin 51 permits the mirror unit 16 to graduallyswing radially in a clockwise direction, and when the traveler reachesthe limit of its downward movement, the said mirror unit can be easilyswung upward toward the case 15. The mirror elements 17 and 18 are nowreversed and will be held in such position when the handle 52 is pushedinto the notch 53 of the upper housing 34 and the clips 54 are snappedover the upper edge of the bezel. When it becomes desirable to againreverse the mirror elements, the mirror unit is swung outwardly by meansof the handle 52, substantially as shown by the broken lines in Fig. 3.The mirror unit is then turned in a counterclockwise direction on thepivot pin 51 and, by applying an upward thrust thereto, the traveler 37will be caused to ascend in the slot 45. At the end of its upwardmovement, the traveler 37 will be received in the upper housing 34 andthe mirror unit swung inwardly until the handle 52 is received in thelower notch 53. At such time, the mirror element 17 again b9 broughtinto viewing position and supported firmly therein by the retainingclips 55 which engage the bezel.

Another important feature of the rear view mirror herein provided isthat the rear wall 22 of the case acts as a cover for the mirror surfacefacing said rear wall to shield the same from the headlights of oncomingvehicles and thereby prevent incidental reflections in the windshield ofthe vehicle created by oncoming traflic. Thus, the out-of-visionreflecting surface is normally in a position to receive light rays thatmay originate in approaching car lights, sunlight, and reflections fromeither source. These light rays can and will, unless the mirrior isshielded therefrom, be reflected back toward the windshield of thevehicle and create disturbing sources of conflicting light or areas ofscattered light therefrom which may materially interfere with drivingsafety and comfort. The rear wall 22 of the case in serving as a coverfor the adjacent reflecting surface of the mirror prevents suchincidental reflections.

The form of traveler support, as afforded by the slot 45 in the guidebar 36, may be modified, if desired, as shown in Figs. 5 and 9. Thismodification involves the use of a guide bar 56 which replaces the bar36 and a suitably bent channel member 57 which engages the opposedmarginal edges of the bar by means of the inwardly bent ends 58. Thechannel member 57 is carried by a body portion 59, similar to the bodyportion 46 of the traveler 37, which is received between the lugs 50 ofthe bezel 19 and connected thereto by the pivot pin 51.

Preferably, the mirror assembly A is supported within an automobile orthe like in such a manner that it can be bodily adjusted to any desiredangular position to reflect images from the rear of the vehicle to thedriver according to his height and seating position. The mounting meansB herein shown is one form of adjustable mounting which may be used forthis purpose, and comprises an arm 60 which is secured to the framingstructure of an automobile by means of its threaded shank 61. Oppositethis threaded shank, the arm 60 is provided with a shank 62 of reduceddiameter which terminates in a spherical or ball end 63. The shank 62 ofthe arm extends through an opening 64 in the rear wall 22 of the caseand the ball end 63 is mounted in a spherical bearing or seat 65 formedin the liner plate 28. The ball end is retained in this seat by a metalstrap 66 having a centrally formed bearing surface 67 conforming to andengaging said ball. The metal strap 66 may be suitably secured at itsopposite ends to the liner plate and coacts with the bearing seat 65 togrip the ball 63 with sufficient force to maintain the mirror assemblystationary except when it is adjusted bodily upon the said ball.

While the above described construction has been found to be verysatisfactory for quickly and easily reversing the mirror unit 16 topresent the desired mirror element 17 or 18 to the driver, it ispossible to increase the stability of the pivotal interconnectionbetween the bezel 19 and case 15 by adding a second guide bar asillustrated in Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive. As therein shown, the modifiedmirror assembly A is adjustably supported by the mounting means B. Thismirror assembly also comprises a case 68, a liner plate 69 receivedtherein, and a mirror unit, designated generally at 70, and whichconsists of the mirror elements 71 and 72 carried in a bezel 73. In Fig.6, the mirror unit 70 is shown as having been partially moved to reversethe mirror elements and its relative position with respect to the caseis substantially as shown in Fig. 3.

The case 68 is substantially rectangular and comprises an arcuate rearwall 74 and a forwardly bent peripheral flange 75 including a top wall76, bottom wall 77 and opposite end walls 78. The flange 75, throughoutits wall portions, has inwardly bent marginal edges which form arelatively narrow front wall 79 bounding the open side of the case andengaging, along its inner surface, the peripheral flange 80 of the linerplate 69 to retain the same within the case 68.

Equally spaced inwardly from the end walls 78, the case is provided inits top wall 76 with the two housings 81, and two similar housings 82are formed in the bottom wall 77 of the casein alignment with thehousings 81. The pairs of housings 81 and 82 define recesses 83 and 84respectively in which the opposite ends of the guide bars 85 aresecured, said bars having slots 86 along which the travelers 87 may bereciprocally moved. As previously set forth, the bars 85 may be formedfrom or fixedly secured at their opposite ends to tongue extensions 88and 89 on the liner plate.

The travelers 87 are moved along and maintained in slidable relationwith the slots 86 by shanks 90 which are integrally formed with thetraveler body portions 91. The shanks 90 are upset to provide enlargedupset heads 92 for maintaining the body portions against the guide bars85. The body portions 91 of the travelers are disposed between pairs ofspaced lugs 93 secured to the bezel 73 and the lugs 93 are pivotallysupported on their related traveler body 92 by pivot pins 94.

The bezel 73 of mirror unit 70 is provided with a handle 95 locatedmidway between its ends and by which the unit can be readily actuated bythe driver. When the mirror unit is located in closed position withrespect to the case, the handle is received in notches 96 or 97 formedin the top wall 76 and bottom wall 77 respectively of the case,depending upon the mirror element which is presented to the driver.Preferably, the mirror unit is retained in its closed position by clips98, in a similar manner to the clips 54 and 55 previously described. Theclips 98 are located so as to snap over the end edges of the bezel 73,when the mirror unit is withdrawn from or returned to the case, and mayconsist of extensions of the flange 80 of the liner plate 69.

When it is desired to reverse the mirror elements, the mirror unit 70 isswung bodily outwardly with respect to the case 68. The hingedly andslidably supported side of said unit will then descend, by reason of itsweight, or be manually thrust upward by the driver as the travelers 87move within the slots 86 in guide bars 85, in the same manner asdescribed in detail hereinabove in connection with that form of theinvention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as the preferred embodiment of the same, andthat various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In a rear view mirror for automobiles and the like, a supporting caseincluding a rear wall provided with mounting means therefor and beingopen at the front thereof, a mirror unit in a position normally closingthe front of the case and having two oppositely facing reflectivesurfaces of different reflecting values, a substantially vertical guidemember carried by said case, traveler means freely slidable along saidguide member, and means for pivotally connecting the mirror unit to saidtraveler means so that as the said traveler means moves bodily along theguide member the mirror unit can be simultaneously pivoted thereon toeffect the reversal and return thereof to the same position relative tothe case for normally closing the front of said case and thereby presentthe desired reflecting surface to the driver.

2. In a rear view mirror for automobiles and the like,

a supporting case including a rear wall provided with that as thetraveler means moves in one direction along the guide member, the mirrorunit can be simultaneously swung in the opposite direction to effect thereversal and return thereof to the same position relative to the casefor normally closing the front of said case and thereby present thedesired reflecting surface to the driver.

3. In a rear view mirror for automobiles and the like, a supporting caseincluding a rear wall provided with mounting means therefor and beingopen at the front thereof, a mirror unit in a position normally closingthe front of the case and having two oppositely facing reflectivesurfaces of different reflecting values, a substantially vertical guidemember carried by said case, traveler means freely slidable along saidguide member and including a body portion, means pivotally connectingthe mirror unit at one side thereof to said body portion to swing freelyabout a substantially horizontal axis, so that as the traveler meansmoves in one direction along the guide member, the mirror unit can besimultaneously swung in the opposite direction to effect the reversaland return thereof to the same position relative to the case fornormally closing the front of said case and thereby present the desiredreflecting surface to the driver, and means carried by the case andengaging the mirror unit for maintaining the latter in normal viewingposition.

4. In a rear view mirror for automobiles and the like, a supporting caseincluding a rear wall provided with mounting means therefor and beingopen at the front thereof and having outwardly extended housings at theupper and lower edges thereof, a mirror unit in a position normallyclosing the front of the case and having two oppositely facingreflective surfaces of different reflecting values, a vertical guidemember mounted within the case and having its opposite ends securedwithin said housings, traveler means slidable freely along said guidemember and including a body portion, and means pivotally connecting themirror unit at one side thereof to said body portion to swing freelyabout a horizontal axis, the parts being so associated with one anotherthat as the traveler means sfides along the guide member in onedirection, the mirror unit can be simultaneously pivoted in the oppositedirection with respect thereto to effect the reversal and return of themirror unit to the same position relative to the case for normallyclosing the front of said case and thereby present the desiredreflecting surface to the driver, the said traveler means being receivedwithin the said housings when at the limit of its vertical movements.

5. In a rear view mirror for automobiles and the like, a supporting caseincluding a rear wall provided with mounting means therefor and beingopen at the front thereof and having outwardly extended housings at theupper and lower edges thereof, a mirror unit in a position normallyclosing the front of the case and having two oppositely facingreflective surfaces of different reflecting values, a vertical guidemember mounted within the case and having its opposite ends securedwithin said housings, traveler means slidable freely along said guidemember and including a body portion, means pivotally connecting themirror unit at one side thereof to said body portion to swing freelyabout a horizontal axis, the parts being so associated with one anotherthat as the traveler means slides along the guide member in onedirection, the mirror unit can be simultaneously pivoted in the oppositedirection with respect thereto to effect the reversal and return of themirror unit to the same position relative to the case for normallyclosing the front of said case and thereby present the desiredreflecting surface to the driver, the said traveler means being receivedwithin the said housings when at the limit of its vertical movements,and means carried by the case and engaging the mirror unit formaintaining the latter in normal viewing position.

6. In a rear view mirror for automobiles and the like, a supporting caseincluding a rear wall provided with mounting means therefor and beingopen at the front thereof, a mirror unit in a position normally closingthe front of the case and having two oppositely facing reflectivesurfaces of different reflecting values, a guide member carried by saidcase, traveler means freely slidable along said guide member, and meansfor pivotally connecting the mirror unit to said traveler means so thatas the said traveler means moves bodily along the guide member themirror unit can be simultaneously pivoted thereon to effect the reversaland return thereof to the same position relative to the case fornormally closing the front of said case and thereby present the desiredreflecting surface to the driver.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

